The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-11-26

Unable style of outlandish costume, carrying
guns without stocks, stocks without guns
breoms, or mops or fails, In lieu Of mus
kets, some In tall hats, others In straw hats
caps, bare headed, boOtless, or with one
boot and one shoe, some with pants one
leg of which was white and the otheI
yell W, red or blue They had officers
from Grand Marshals and Major Generals
down to 10th corporals some on mules
others on foot or mounted on scare. crows OF
horses, leaving "Fallstaffs recruits" far in
the shade as to every absurdity. The out
landish parades soon rendered the annual
training so ridiculous that no one observed
It; the law became dead letter and was
finally repealed,
EARLY RAILROADS.
Some time during Arthur's "teens,
railroads began to be talked Of. To build
railroads across rivers, over mountains
through dense forests, in spsrcely settled
country, where Glands" can not find board
provisions are dear, Is big task even In
our day and generation, with our
advantage of experience and improved
appliances for such work, but In those days
II was a Herculean labor. But far sighted
business men discerned In the future the
great commercial interests which railroads
would develop. But how soon? was the
question. Capital was not PLENTIFUL. The
country was still burdened with the debt Of
two wars, and railroads only an experiment
yet TO be made Western New York was
wilderness and Chicago a mere landing
place for venturesome and irregular small
crafts, while the Great West had its East
ern line In Ohio and stretched its almost
boundless limits of woods, prairles and
mountains, inhabited by Indians and wild
animals TO the far off Pacific, trackless
"wild, wild vest truly, and large enough
TO contain all Europe! But the spirit of
progress urged capital westward towards
the lakes, and short railroads were built
each almost as an Independent experiment,
and all by different companies. First to
Albany; the second to Schenectady; the
third to Utica; the fourth to Syracuse; the
fifth to Rochester; the sixth to Batavia,
and the seventh to Buffalo, Each of these
short links of this chain of railroads was
owned and operated by adifTerent company,
and the cars of one company never rolled
upon the track of another road. This
necessitated a change of cars and baggage
at the end of each line at the places we
have named, and moreover land to Onr
readers the queerest of alp the
trains never ran at night
1t took whole day--irom morning till
evenIng-to run from Albany to Syracuse,
where the passengers, conductors, engi-
neers, brakemen, &c, put up at the hotel
for the night, and, starting next morning,
plodded along until they reached Buffalo
the next night. A modern fast express
and mail train now makes the distance
from New York City to Chicago In about
the same .ime,-a fair illustration of Thu
age.
FAMILY HISTORY.
Mr.. John Lockwood and Miss Amy Har.
rls were married at Hartford, Conn, in
1873 The result of that union was eight
Of whom Arthur was the eldest |
A brother and sister and their aged mother,
now In her ODD year, still bright, strong
and cheerful, live together In comfortable
house in Brooklyn. These four are all who
survive of the old family. Arthur's brother
John, of Brooklyn, is gentleman of fine
literary culture and reputation. He served
for years as an associate editor with Horace
Greeley on the New York Tribune, and
was critic on Harper's Magazine for
years, besides he was one of the brightest
md most industrious contributors to Apple.
on's JornaI As stated previously, Mr..
John Lockwood, ST., was liberal contrib
ltor to the cause of education, and as fast
,s his children were advanced enough they
we're sent to the Duchess county Academy,
IN excellent preparatory school for the next
step higher-the college. Here for five
years Arthur had Latin and other advanced
studies hammered Into him by Yankee
,choolmaster, who was very good instruc-
tor"
In 1880, Mr.. John Lockwood, ST., "for the
as he explained 1t, "of giving his
children the advantage of the best schools
In the country" sold out his extensive retail
store in Poughkeepsie and moved to New
York city. He opened wholesale dry
goods store in the then center of business,
and provided com Portable home for his
family three miles further out In the coun.
try, near where Madison Square was after.
wards located. Arthur has been over
nearly every rod OF that part of the Island,
which was then as wild and rough as the
Rocky Mountain region, and was then
equally as familiar with the territory which |
has since become Central Park, rugged
section which promised the least In the
real or Imaginable. Arthur entered the